Justified by Faith
Notes
Transcript
What then shall we say that Abraham our father has found according to the flesh?
For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God.
For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”
Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt.
But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness,
just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works:
“Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, And whose sins are covered;
Blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin.”
Does this blessedness then come upon the circumcised only, or upon the uncircumcised also? For we say that faith was accounted to Abraham for righteousness.
How then was it accounted? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised.
And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while still uncircumcised, that he might be the father of all those who believe, though they are uncircumcised, that righteousness might be imputed to them also,
and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also walk in the steps of the faith which our father Abraham had while still uncircumcised.
For the promise that he would be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.
For if those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise made of no effect,
because the law brings about wrath; for where there is no law there is no transgression.
Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all
(as it is written, “I have made you a father of many nations”) in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did;
who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, “So shall your descendants be.”
And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb.
He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God,
and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform.
And therefore “it was accounted to him for righteousness.”
Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him,
but also for us. It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead,
who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification.
Intro
Intro
AG:
TS:
RS:
Abraham, Israel’s Racial Father
Abraham, Israel’s Racial Father
Paul uses the model of Abraham to prove justification by faith alone because the Jews held him up as the supreme example of a righteous man, and it clearly showed that Judaism with its works-righteousness had deviated from the faith of the Jews’ patriarchal ancestors.
Abraham and His Salvation
Abraham and His Salvation
1. What Abraham Received
God Himself canceled Abraham’s sins and declared him righteous.
This is the point of salvation!
It is true for all who are saved
God cancels our sin!
Remember the definition of justification: declared righteous
2. How Abraham received it
a) It did NOT come about by his works
What then shall we say that Abraham our father has found according to the flesh?
For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God.
Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt.
If Abraham’s works had been the basis of his justification, he would be right to boast in God’s presence.
It would be the wages he earned.
b) It came about by his faith
For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”
This is quote from Ge 15:6.
This is one of the clearest statements in Scripture that justification is by faith alone
But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness,
Faith is the key!
Trusting Jesus to keep His promise to justify all who believe Him.
accounted: a legal and financial term
God transferred Christ’s righteousness to us without us earning nor deserving it.
God balances the books like we never could!
3. When Abraham Received it
a) He received it before circumcision
Does this blessedness then come upon the circumcised only, or upon the uncircumcised also? For we say that faith was accounted to Abraham for righteousness.
How then was it accounted? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised.
And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while still uncircumcised, that he might be the father of all those who believe, though they are uncircumcised, that righteousness might be imputed to them also,
and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also walk in the steps of the faith which our father Abraham had while still uncircumcised.
He was circumcised AFTER salvation!
It was a sign of the covenant, not a means to enter into the covenant
The same could be said for many things:
Baptism
Lord’s Supper
Church Membership
etc.
b) He received it before the Law was given
For the promise that he would be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.
For if those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise made of no effect,
because the law brings about wrath; for where there is no law there is no transgression.
He also received it before the Law had spelled out God’s requirements upon Israel
Moral Code (Think 10 commandments)
National Code (how to deal with crime)
Health Code (many regulations about sanitation)
Abraham was justified by faith, NOT circumcision, and NOT keeping the Law!
The same is true for us
Abraham and His Seed
Abraham and His Seed
Paul discusses the results of Abraham’s faith following his salvation
1. Abrahams physical seed
a) The Promise Ro 4:18
who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, “So shall your descendants be.”
God promised a son through Sarah
b) The Problem
And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb.
Abraham and his barren wife were too old for this
They were past the natural age of having a child.
This seemed impossible, in fact, Sarah laughed when she heard it!
c) The Perseverance
He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God,
and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform.
And therefore “it was accounted to him for righteousness.”
Abraham continued to believe Go for the impossible, and Isaac as born
His faith had grown and he persevered in it in spite of circumstances.
In that moment, a nation was born
The ultimate promise, to bless the world, was also on track. Jesus was born of this same line.
2. Abraham’s spiritual seed
Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all
(as it is written, “I have made you a father of many nations”) in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did;
Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him,
but also for us. It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead,
who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification.
All Jews and Gentiles who exercise the kind of faith Abraham had are, spiritually speaking, related to Abraham, who is called the “father of all who believe”
Faith in God is the common thing that unites all of us
David, Israel’s Royal Father
David, Israel’s Royal Father
MacArthur Study Bible NASB (Commentary)
Paul turns for support of his argument to Ps 32:1, 2, a penitential psalm written by David after his adultery with Bathsheba and his murder of her husband (2Sa 11). In spite of the enormity of his sin and the utter absence of personal merit, David knew the blessing of imputed righteousness.
The Transgression of David
The Transgression of David
just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works:
He was guilty of adultery and murder
All are sinners (remember ch 1-3)
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
While we rank them and assign a different weight to each one, They are ALL far short of God’s standard
We, like David, need to have that dealt with.
The Testimony of David
The Testimony of David
“Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, And whose sins are covered;
Blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin.”
The repentant king was forgiven, cleansed, and justified by faith
Because of David’s repentance, God forgave him and continued to use him.
Notice his plea:
Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your lovingkindness; According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin.
For I acknowledge my transgressions, And my sin is always before me.
Against You, You only, have I sinned, And done this evil in Your sight— That You may be found just when You speak, And blameless when You judge.
Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me.
Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts, And in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom.
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Make me hear joy and gladness, That the bones You have broken may rejoice.
Hide Your face from my sins, And blot out all my iniquities.
Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.
Faith and Repentance work together and grow out of each other.
John the Baptist preached it.
Jesus Called on people to Repent
From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
Dwight Moody said,
Man is born with his back toward God. When he truly repents, he turns right around and faces God. Repentance is a change of mind…. Repentance is the tear in the eye of faith.
Dwight Lyman Moody (Evangelist)
Conc
Conc
This chapter reveals the heart of salvation
God, prior to any work on our part, declares us righteous
This is the real work of salvation
He deals with our sins and moves us from the guilty list to the not guilty. From being in debt to debt free
We believe like Abraham and Repent like David
